Spanish cooperative visits African nation as government seeks prospective partners to grow high-value crops like berries
Mauritania’s National Society for Rural Development (Sonader) hosted a visit by Spanish berry cooperative Cuna de Platero as part of a government mission to attract inward investment in agriculture and other key sectors through international partnerships with leading companies.
Berries have been identified as one of the products with the best development potential thanks to their high value and rising international demand. As reported by Atalayar, a delegation headed by Cuna de Platero’s president, Francisco Gómez, and executive director, Juan Báñez, visited Mauritania last week to carry out land, water and soil quality analyses, and scope out the technical, technological, and logistical requirements of the pilot.
As part of its Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (Scapp), the Mauritanian government has launched a far-reaching structural investment programme in key sectors, including agriculture, with the aim of optimising the use of natural resources, creating jobs and position Mauritania as an active contributor to regional and global food security.
It is keen to promote the country’s favourable investment environment, highlighting its political stability, extensive land and water resources, favourable climate and strategic location with direct access to European and African markets.
The country has more than 700km of Atlantic coastline, two deep-water ports in Nouakchott and Ndiago, and growing road and air transport links.
The government is freeing up large areas of land for agricultural development and is seeking to attract investment in modern farms with cutting-edge irrigation and packing and cold chain infrastructure through public-private partnerships.
One such initiative is the Sokam Area Development and Improvement Project, involving 14,000ha of fertile land on the plains of the Sokan marigot, a major tributary of the Senegal River.
According to Aichetou Taffa, director of agricultural investment and export promotion at Sonader, beans are another product that has been identified for development. The first commercial harvest of fine and extra-fine beans, grown in open fields in the Aftout region, are expected in early 2026.
The first commercial volumes of blueberries and raspberries, grown in greenhouses in the same region, are expected in early 2027.
